Big Ideas

Jill Eisenhard and Damaris Reyes

Every day, we encounter community leaders and organizers whose stories deserve to be shared and celebrated. The New York Foundation partnered with StoryCorps to craft an eight-part short-interview series featuring our trustees, grantees, and former grantees in conversations that get to the heart of what matters in their work.

Jill Eisenhard, Executive Director of the Red Hook Initiative, talks with Damaris Reyes, Executive Director of Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES), about their respective organization’s response to Hurricane Sandy. We hear first from Damaris Reyes.

Produced and recorded by StoryCorps, a national nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. The interviews afford a raw encounter with the personal trials and triumphs of advocates, and an unmediated perspective on community-driven efforts in New York City.

More Big Ideas.

“So that no one is left behind.” By Altaf Rahamatulla Three months ago, Andrea Jenkins was elected to the Minneapolis City Council, becoming the first-out transgender woman of color elected to public office in American history. Jenkins’ victory was emblematic…

To better understand what makes for effective community engagement, we went right to the source. What draws someone to this work? What skill set do community organizers need in order to succeed? Sure, strategic thinking, an eye for politics, and…

Annetta Seecharran and Murad Awawdeh Every day, we encounter community leaders and organizers whose stories deserve to be shared and celebrated. The New York Foundation partnered with StoryCorps to craft a new lot of short-interview series featuring our trustees, grantees,…

Local Groups on the Front Lines By Altaf Rahamatulla Cities and states have traditionally been incubators of reform—local policy experiments and innovation have stimulated national discourse and influenced broader efforts. This is especially true in this moment. Though the past…

Indigenous People’s Day The New York Foundation respectfully observes Indigenous People’s Day—this upcoming October 8th & 9th, 2017—as a reclamation of Columbus Day, and as a day to celebrate, learn about, and center Indigenous peoples, and their history throughout…